Following the game, James explained how Jordan served as a role model throughout his life.

"A lot of stuff that I’ve done in my career, this is right up there at the top," James told reporters. "Winning a championship, just I mean, for a kid from Akron, Ohio, that needed inspiration, needed some type of positive influence, MJ was that guy for me.

"I watched him from afar wanting to be like MJ, wanting to shoot fadeaways like MJ, wanting to stick my tongue out on dunks like MJ, wanting to wear my sneakers like MJ. I wanted kids to look up at some point to me like MJ. It’s crazy. To be honest, it’s beyond crazy."

James now trails only Kobe Bryant (33,643), Karl Malone (36,928) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) on the league's all-time scoring list.

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